California Family of Three Found Dead as Questions Surround Husband’s Mental Health and VA Visit

A California family of three was found dead inside their San Carlos home on September 16, 2026, as investigators work to determine what led to the fatal shooting.

Police identified the victims as Amy Voight, 54, her husband David Voight, 56, and their 13-year-old daughter, Mya. Officers responded to the home on Boulder Lake Avenue shortly after 8 a.m. after a neighbor discovered the couple unresponsive inside the residence. Mya was later found deceased elsewhere in the home.

Preliminary evidence indicates that all three died from gunshot wounds, and investigators recovered a firearm inside the house. San Diego police said there was no evidence of forced entry and that they were not searching for an outside suspect, describing the incident as isolated. However, authorities have not officially classified the deaths as a murder-suicide, and the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting autopsies to determine the official cause and manner of death.

In the days following the tragedy, Amy’s parents, Mary and Jerry Austin, spoke publicly about concerns they said they had noticed in David’s behavior. They described him as a former Navy warrant officer who served for roughly three decades, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and work involving explosive ordnance disposal. Those details were reported by the family and local media, while official records confirm his lengthy and decorated Navy career.

The Austins said David’s mental-health symptoms had become increasingly concerning before the deaths. They said they believed he was experiencing PTSD and urged Amy to seek professional assistance for him.

According to the family, Amy visited a Department of Veterans Affairs facility on September 15, one day before the family was found dead. Jerry Austin told local media that Amy spoke with a receptionist and nurse and asked whether something could be done to help her husband with what the family described as anxiety, depression and frustration. He said she was told counselors were busy and that an appointment was needed.

The Department of Veterans Affairs disputes that account. VA Press Secretary Quinn Slaven said the agency could not discuss David’s individual care because of privacy restrictions, but stated that the allegations about VA services were inaccurate. The VA said its healthcare facilities offer same-day mental-health care to veterans who request it.

The circumstances surrounding the reported VA visit therefore remain unclear. Publicly available information does not establish whether David was evaluated, what was discussed with VA staff, what services were offered or whether he was considered to be experiencing an immediate crisis.

Amy was remembered by her parents as a devoted mother and highly accomplished professional. She worked as a digital forensic examiner for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Mya was an eighth-grade student at Pershing Middle School, where the school has made counseling support available to students and staff following her death.

As investigators continue examining the family’s final days, authorities have not publicly established a motive or officially determined how the three deaths occurred. The medical examiner’s findings are expected to provide additional information as the investigation continues.

For now, the case remains a devastating loss for the Voight family and the San Carlos community, with unanswered questions surrounding the events inside the home and the family’s reported efforts to seek help in the days before the deaths.

Source: NY Post